1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to support stands on kitchen ranges and range tops that hold pots and pans over heating elements and more particularly to Asian WOK stands that hold and anchor WOKs and other rounded, deep containers to the range tops.
2. Prior Art
The principal functions of the present invention are to support Asian WOKS and other rounded deep containers over heating elements on kitchen ranges and to anchor these containers over the heating elements.
Kitchen ranges generally have range top surfaces that contain heater wells. These wells facilitate placement of heating elements near or at the range top surfaces and provide means to convey and translate energy forms, such as gas or electricity, into heat. Present kitchen ranges generally use flat support means near or above the wells for supporting cooking utensils. In gas ranges, for example, these devices are generally mounted concentric to a burner. Here they maintain pots and pans at a preferred distance above a gas flame. In this sense they serve and function as spacer means. Electric ranges use heating coils, generally wound in flat spirals, that serve both as heating elements as well as flat support devices. Both types of devices are adapted to support corresponding flat bottomed pots and pans.
The combination of flat bottoms and flat tops allows the pots and pans to slide freely across the range top. There are no anchoring or anchoring means to prevent motion in a horizontal direction. This may be troublesome during vigorous stirring by an uncoordinated chef.
The sideways freedom of motion becomes particularly troublesome when a round-bottomed kettle is placed upon the range top. The oriental WOK, a cooking vessel with a generally spheroid bottom, is one such example. An independent stand is generally provided with the WOK. This is placed loosely on top of a pre-existing flat support stand on top of the range top, and is thus generally centered over a heating element. The entire system, WOK and stand, is free to slide sideways. Furthermore, since the pre-existing support stands are generally higher that the range top surface, and since the special WOK stand is placed on top of the pre-existing support stand, the WOK is generally unstable. It therefore tends to fall off the support as well as slide sideways.
Flat bottomed versions of the WOK, i.e. deep, flat bottomed pans, have been introduced to compensate for the general instability. However, this solution has essentially dispensed with the traditional WOK.
A further function of the present invention is the general support of a round bottom vessel, such as an Asian wok, on a flat surface. The flat surface may be a table top. Because the wok may in general be hot when placed on a table top, there is an obvious need to provide insulation to protect the table top in addition to keeping the vessel upright.
The prior art is replete with examples of devices to protect a table top. Several "hot pads" are made of various insulating cloths. There are also hard surface versions obtaining insulation by utilizing legs. A trivet, originally having three legs, is an example of such a device. However, the word trivet has now become a general term for an insulating device for hot kitchen utensils; legs, in any number, are no longer determinative.
There are no devices in the market place today for insulating support of round bottom vessels.